If you are a fan of Mahjong games in the slightest and are an iPad owner, you are in for a treat with Mahjong Artifacts.

If there ever was a computer game genre that was invented before the technology was ready, it has to be Mahjong. While most electronic version of this game are not truly Mahjong (real Mahjong is NOT an individual game, and plays a lot like gin rummy), for lack of a better name, I will be using "Mahjong" to describe them. Looking at the history, Mahjong games first appeared on PCs in the late 80?s/early 90?s when computer mice were just becoming ubiquitous. Without a pointing device like a mouse, this type of game would be tedious bordering on unplayable. However, as adequate as a mouse is for Mahjong, it pales in comparison to a touch-screen. While playing on an iPhone/iPod touch brilliantly leaps past all PC versions in the interface department, it raises another issue: screen size. The detail on these tiles are often so intricate that even with the eyesight of a chicken hawk most of us will find ourselves zooming in and scrolling around; also tedious, bordering on unplayable. Enter: Mahjong Artifacts HD.

While this offering wasn?t the first to the party, it is the best. Between its wide range of options, razor-sharp graphics, smooth animation, high-quality sound, and a hefty dose of spit-and-polish, Mahjong Artifacts is the one to beat.

Gameplay

Gameplay is about what you?d expect for a tile-matching game. However, in additional to standard play, there is also an endless and a quest mode. I wasn?t much of a fan of the former, but I found the quest to be quite enjoyable. In it, the player must solve a series of pre-designed levels. These levels had a deviousness to them that you just won?t get in a randomly generated level, and I found myself returning to it time and again. Additionally, the inclusion of ?super? tiles that act as wild cards, add a whole new twist to the game. At first, it seemed that these tiles made the game too easy; however, I quickly realized that this is not always true. You see, when you use a ?special? to remove a particular tile, you are leaving an unmated tile buried somewhere in the stack, and if you intend to clear the board completely you will need to remember which tiles have been orphaned. It can certainly help you out of a jam but after you use it, the game gets significantly harder. If you find yourself completely stuck, you can reshuffle the stack once per level. This won?t help you with the orphan tile problem but it can bail you out if you?ve painted yourself into a corner with some bad play.

Graphics

The graphics In Mahjong Artifacts HD are simply outstanding. The colors are bright and the tiles, razor sharp. The developers obviously put a lot of time and effort into making the most of the iPad's graphic capabilities. There are also multiple tilesets and backgrounds to choose from (although the game chooses these for you in the quest). All of this serves to keep the game fresh. When you make a match, the tiles don't just disappear; they lift smoothly off the board and crack together before they are removed. Unfortunately, if you are a minimalist and prefer your Mahjong a bit more austere, you may want to look elsewhere as this feature can't be disabled.

Sound

The sound effects consist of very nicely sampled clicks, whooshes, etc. I did not find them distracting, and they served to add a nice bit of personality to the game. The music was also excellent, consisting of a culturally diverse collection of internationally flavored pieces. Personally, I tend to turn music off when I play games, but I found myself leaving this music on.

Conclusion

Mahjong Artifacts HD is an excellent offering, easily matching or exceeding its rivals in every feature except for downloadable content (At least one other Mahjong competitor offers the ability to download additional tilesets). The inclusion of special tiles and a quest mode serve to set this game apart, as do its excellent graphics and sound. If you like your tile matching games vibrant and perky, with plenty of unique innovations, look no further. Once you?ve beaten this game to death, check out Mahjong Artifacts: Chapter 2 HD